Forex Zambia
1 USD = 129.4895 KES
Indicative rate, updated 7 hours ago. Not a live dealing rate - confirm with your broker before trading.
A live technical-analysis reading for USD/KES, from Strong Sell to Strong Buy, updated automatically by TradingView. Forex has no reliable, freely-published Fear & Greed Index the way stocks or crypto do, so this momentum-based gauge is shown instead.
USD/KES tracks the US Dollar against the Kenyan Shilling, driven mainly by Central Bank of Kenya policy and East African trade flows. As a fellow African currency, its moves are a useful comparison point for how the Kwacha is performing against similar economies.
Rates shown here are indicative only, sourced periodically rather than streamed live. Confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before converting funds or opening a trade.
Latest
129.537
25 Sep 2026
Highest since Mar 2024
142.997
6 Mar 2024
Lowest since Mar 2024
127.719
17 Jul 2024
12-month average
129.295
128.663 – 130.064
Over the past year USD/KES has risen 0.13%, meaning the USD has strengthened against the KES. In the last 30 days it has moved up 0.09%. Across the last 12 months it traded between 128.663 and 130.064. Its highest level in the data window (since March 2024) was 142.997 on 6 Mar 2024, and its lowest was 127.719 on 17 Jul 2024.
Based on weekly data from 6 Mar 2024 to 25 Sep 2026. Source: Weekly rate snapshots (currency-api). A rising rate means the USD is strengthening against the KES. Past performance does not predict future results.
A pair's price is one currency's value measured against another, so the economy behind each side matters.
United States · Federal Reserve (Fed) · Free float
The US Dollar is the world's dominant reserve and trading currency. It sits on one side of roughly nine in ten forex trades, and most commodities, including copper, are priced in it.
Kenya · Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) · Managed float
The Shilling is the currency of East Africa's largest economy. Diaspora remittances, agricultural exports and tourism drive its foreign-currency supply.
The US Dollar is a traditional safe haven. In periods of market stress, investors tend to move money into it, which often pushes it higher against the Kenyan Shilling even when local economic data is unchanged.
The Kenyan Shilling is an emerging or frontier-market currency. Compared with a major reserve currency, its market is thinner, so shifts in global risk appetite, Dollar liquidity and capital flows can move it faster and further than fundamentals alone would suggest.
Central-bank policy matters on both sides: the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). When one of them is expected to keep interest rates higher than the other, that currency usually attracts capital and strengthens; a narrowing gap tends to reverse the move.
Typically rises with the Dollar
Usually moves inversely to the Dollar
Risk-off episodes tend to boost the Dollar
Reflect sovereign risk
2008 USD
The global financial crisis triggered a surge in safe-haven Dollar demand.
2011 KES
The Shilling fell sharply amid high inflation and a wide current-account deficit.
2014–15 USD
The Fed signalled tighter policy while other central banks eased, driving a powerful Dollar rally.
2020 USD
In March 2020 a global "dash for Dollars" sent the currency sharply higher before the Fed flooded markets with liquidity.
2022 USD
The fastest Fed hiking cycle in decades pushed the Dollar to a roughly 20-year high, including parity with the Euro.
2024 KES
Early in the year it weakened sharply before recovering after debt-management moves.
As a fellow African currency, USD/KES is a useful yardstick for how the Kwacha is performing against regional economies. It also matters for cross-border trade in Southern and East Africa.
Compare brokers offering these pairs →Most active: New York session (and the London–New York overlap) • Nairobi business hours and the London session
1 USD is worth about 129.489 KES (indicative, updated 7 hours ago). Always confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before you convert or trade.
In the data we track (since 6 Mar 2024), USD/KES peaked at 142.997 on 6 Mar 2024 and bottomed at 127.719 on 17 Jul 2024.
USD/KES is influenced by the relative strength of the US Dollar and the Kenyan Shilling. Key factors include: Federal Reserve interest-rate policy, US inflation and jobs data, Remittances, Debt-servicing needs. See the sections above for the full list.
Activity and liquidity are typically highest during: New York session (and the London–New York overlap) • Nairobi business hours and the London session. Spreads are usually tighter when the relevant markets are open.
USD/KES can be more volatile or carry wider spreads than the major pairs, so it usually suits experienced traders better. If you are new, start with a demo account and a major pair. Trading forex carries a high risk of loss.
This page is educational and is not investment advice. Rates, statistics and commentary are indicative and may contain errors or be out of date. Forex and CFD trading carries a high risk of loss.